Can salvagers



Feb. 16, 1960 R. w. LEWIS 2,925,114

01m SALVAGERS Filed Sept. 3, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG.I

INVENTOR.

Roy W. Lewis United States Patent CAN SALVAGERS Roy W. Lewis, St. Clairsville, Ohio Application September 3, 1958, Serial No. 759,838

14 Claims. (Cl. 153-2) This application is a continuation-in-part of my application Serial No. 648,217, filed March 25, 1957, and now abandoned.

This invention relates to apparatus for salvaging cans and pertains more particularly to a device of this character, which is adapted to slit, longitudinally, the cylindrical sidewall of a can (one end of which has previously been opened) and sever the bottom, or closed end, of the can from the can side wall, so as, ultimately, to convert the cylindrical side wall into a flat sheet and the bottom of the can, by severance from the side wall, into a fiat disc. The flat sheet and the flat disc, will then be easier to store, pack and handle.

Discarded cans are rather bulky and occupy a great deal of space for the amount of metal contained in their construction. For this reason, it is highly desirable to provide some means for flattening them so that they may be compacted into substantially a dense mass. For this purpose, there are, of course, available large press type machines which can take a large number of cans or the like and compress them into a relatively small space substantially devoid of air spaces or voids so that the metal can be easily handled and shipped for re-claiming. However, it is not always practical to expend the amount of money necessary for obtaining press type machines since by their very nature they are rather massive and expensive construction and it is, therefore, highly desirable to provide a rather compact and portable means which is capable of re-claiming discarded cans and obtaining relatively flat sheets struck therefrom. It is, therefore, a primary object of this invention to provide a highly effective and yet compact inexpensive machine for re-claiming cans.

It is another object of this invention to provide a construction for salvaging or re-claiming cans wherein individual cans are placed on a mandrel and first slit length wise and then subjected to an end severing action, whereby the can is re-claimed in two parts, the can bottom and a substantially fiat sheet which was originally the side wall of the can.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a device of the character described incorporating a relatively fixed frame and a can receiving mandrel fixed thereto, with there being swingably mounted on the frame a combined roller and knife assembly which is swung simultaneously into engagement with a can received on the mandrel so that the can is first slit lengthwise thereof and clamped by the roller against the mandrel such that rotation of the roller will rotatethe can, the knife including a blade portion thereof adapted to sever the can bottom when the can is rotated by the roller, or there may be a rotary knife cooperating with the blade portion to sever the can bottom.

Another object of this invention is to provide a frame construction in accordance with the preceding object wherein the roller and knife are pivotally attached thereto about an axis inclined to the vertical and with the mandrel having a pair of longitudinally extending de- 2,925,114 Patented Feb. 16, 1960 tion of the roller so as to achieve a firm gripping action of an associated can so that the roller, when rotated, will serve to rotate the can upon the mandrel and thus serve to sever the bottom of the can.

It will be appreciated that the can salvaging machine disclosed herein is readily adaptable in many circumstances. For example, the machine can be used in the home wherein the number of cans handled by the machine would be relatively small or the machine is useful in such establishments as gasoline service stations, restaurants, hotels and the like where the number of cans processed would be relatively large. The machine will find use under many and varied circumstances and will be extremely beneficial regardless of the volume of cans to be processed.

may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention. In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of the salvaging ma-- chine constructed in accordance with this invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the machine and showing the roller and knife assembly in partially withdrawn position;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken substantially along the plane of section line 3-3 of Fig. 2 and showing the relationship of parts;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged transverse sectional view showing the position of parts with the roller and knife assembly Withdrawn;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 but showing the roller and knife in the engaged position and illustrating, in dotted lines, an associated can disposed upon the mandrel assembly; a

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the knife assembly;

Fig. 7 is an enlarged'view of the handle end of Fig. 3

and showing the rotary knife; and

Fig. 8 is an elevation of the rotary knife and how it cooperates with the blade portion.

Referring now more particularly to Figs. 1, 2 and 3,

the can salvaging machine will be seen to consist essentially of a frame assembly indicated generally by the reference character 10 having a base 11. in the form'of "a generally rectangular plate and upstanding therefrom a pair of substantiallyvertical plate-like side pieces 12 and '13 interconnected bya horizontal frame piece 14.

Aswill be seen most clearly in Fig.2, the side piece 13 rises from the rear edge of the base 11 and the intermediate or throat portion 15 of the side pieces is cut away, as shown, with the upper extremities of each side piece being enlarged to overhang. The other side piece 12 is of much greater width than the side piece 13, being devoid of the cut away throat portion 15 and instead is provided with an enlarged throat portion 16 and has fixed thereto a horizontally extending mandrel indicated generally by the reference character 17. The cut away throat portion 15 leaves the free end of the mandrel 17 open and accessible to the placement of an open can on the mandrel. The mandrel is of arcuate cross section as shownmost clearly in Fig. 2 and is provided with a longitudinally extending V-shaped notch 18 and immediately rearwardly thereof with a semi-circular trough 19 coextensive in length with the notch 18, which will be presently-apparent.

the purpose of Also-serving to interconnect the side pieces 12? and 13 is a horizontally extending deflector plate 20 having a concave rearward" surface 21, see particularly Fig. 5, and ternrinatingalong' its lower edge in a stepped'portion 22, the purpose of which'will' alsob'e presently apparent.

Preferably, although. not necessarily, the: entire frame structure. may be integrallyforrned as, for example,.by a, single casting, although it is to be understood that the same maybe built up of separate. pieceswith such separate elements'being suitably secured together as by fasteners, welding orthe like.

Fixed to the inner surface of the. side piece 12 in horizo'ntallyinwardly'projecting.relation thereto are a pair of spaced3e'ars'23 and 24", see particularly Fig. 5, and these ears' are apertured' to receive therethrough a pivot bolt member 25 suitably fixed to the ears and journaling therebetween a pivot block member 26. The angle of inclination of the pivot bolt 25 is in the neighborhood of 45 with respect to the verti cal, as is illustrated in Fig. 5, so that the parts attached to the pivot block 26 may be. swung upwardly and rearwardly when desired. A similar blo'c'k member 27 is disposed at the. opposite side of the machine, although this latter block is not in any way pivoted directly to the machine frame but is rather connected to the pivot block 26'by'means of a knife blade asssembly indicated generally by the reference character 2 bladeassernbly rigidly interconnects the blocks 26 and 27,. the knife being provided with laterally projecting cars 29 and 30 secured to the opposed inner faces of the block by means of suitable fasteners or the like. The

blocks 26 and 27 are provided with journal" holes receiv ing the'opposite" ends 31 and 32 of a roller axle and suitable means such as the cotter utilized to longitudinally position the axle with respect to the blocks. Between the blocks, the axle carries acylindrical roller element 35 having a friction producing surface thereon and the end 32 of the axle projects completely through the block 27 and through the side piece 13 and has fixed on its free end a crank assembly indicated generally by the reference character 36 so that the roller may be selectively hand turned. To receive the axle end 32, the side piece 13 is provided. with an elongate slot 37 which isdisposed at right angles to the axis of the pivot bolt 25,. see particularly Fig. 2. sothatwhen desired the entire roller and knife bladeassembly may he swung about the pivot way position.

In use, a can suitable. for salvaging andhaving onefend thereof removed is slipped over. the. mandrel 17,. the convexity of the upper surface of the mandrel conforming generally to the inner surfaceof the. can. .In. order to permit the can to be placed on the mandrel, the roller andknife blade assembly-must, of course, be swung away from. the mandrel so as not to interfere with; the can. The knife blade itself, as will: be seen most clearly in. Figs. 4 and 5, includes amainsbody portion 38 and a laterally projecting; and longitudinally extending knife edge portion. 39 which is disposed generally at right angles to-the axis. of the. pivot bolt 25. The can is indicated in dotte'dlines by the reference character 40in Fig. and it will be evident'that when the roller andl'knife' blade assembly is swung toward the mandrel 17, the knifeblade portion 39" will sever the can along a longitudinal line and in the final. position of the roller and knife blade as shown in Fig. 5 and as opposed to an intermediate position illustrated in Fig. 4', the roller 35 will be forced into the trough. 19' to deform the. can so.v that when t e roller is s b q1 m h f m Fig; 3 illustrates the manner in which the knife pins 33 and 34 may be bolt 25 to an out-of-the-- edge portion 46 thereof will be directed generally in an upward direction and against the rearward face 21 of the deflector plate 20. The previously mentioned stepped portion 22 formed along the lower edge of the deflector plate receives the upper edge of the main body portion 38 of the knife blade assembly and it is preferredthat the rear face 47 of the knife blade assembly lies substantially fiush with the concave face 21 of the deflector plate. Insofar as the notch: 22 is concerned, it is preferred that thesame serve to finally position the knife blade so as to-prevent thecuttingedge of the blade por tion 39 from actually contacting the bottom of the V- shaped' notch 18 which might otherwise tend to dull the knife edge and seriously affect its longevity.

Fig. 6 most clearly illustrates the knife blade construction and, in addition to the previously mentioned main body portion 38 and blade portion 39, the knife blade is provided. with an auxiliary blade element. 49 having a knife edge 50-- disposed at right angles to the main knife edge. The purpose of the auxiliary knife blade 49- is to sever the bottom end of an associated canadjacent the free end of the mandrel 17. The auxiliary knife blade 49,v of course, penetrates the can in. a. di-

rection. perpendicularlyto the line of severance effected.

by the blade. element 3 9 when. the partsare initially dis.-

posed in the final, position as shown in. Fig 5 and'when the. roller 35 is rotated tofeed the can around the mandrel, the auxiliary knife continues its severing action circumferentially of the. can. In this-way, an opened can having the top removed is finally separated into two pieces, one a relatively flat rectangular strip or sheet constituting. the original side wall of. the can and the other acircular disc portion which was: originally the bottom. of the can. This permits the salvaged cans to be' very easily packed and confined within a relatively small space.

The supporting surface of the mandrel upon which-the inner surface of the can rests is convex and the cylin" drical roller operating in the arcuate trough in: the mandrel serves to deform the can side wall in a direction opposite to that in which it is normally bent so that the combined action of the rol er taken in coniunction with the mandrel trough and feeding the circular sidewall ofthe can between the. same effects a straightening action upon the can side wall tending to cause it to as sume a subst ntiallv'flat sheet-like form.

The proximity of the knife blade and the roller serves: to produce the'beneficial effect of directing the severed! longitudinal edge of. the can which is disposed nearest the roller upwardly toward the rear surfaceof the. de-- flector plate particu arly in view of the fact that the roller forces the longitudinal 'areaof the can immediately behind the-severed edge down into the trough in the mandrel. severed-free-edge of the can to assume an upwardly projecting; position as is' clearly shown in the drawings in Fig. 5.

It will be apprec ated that the mandrel as specifically shown in the drawings and: described as above'may be reversed in-position with-respect to the: frame; That is,.

the'mandrelcan be attached to the frame at'theside thereof. opposite that side. upon which the cutter bladetand:

roller assembly are pivoted. Certain advantages accrue fromv this arrangement, for example, this permits-.aican: to be fed onto the mandrel. with one hand while the other.

hand operatesthe cutter blade and roller: assemblies-to swing the same into operative position. and. rotate the crank, thus increasing the speed of operation.- Also, because of. the change in leverage by placing the knifeedge 49 near the hinge pin, the downward pressure on the knife and roller assembly required. to penetrate the can by the knife 49 would be less..

As is shown most. clearly in Figs. 1. and 2, av handle member His fixed: to the block. 27- so. that. the operator.

mayv hold, the; roller 3&- firmly, intoengagemenewitlrthe Thus' the natural. effect is to constrain they which will engage the can adjacent the closed end therer of when the knife and roller assembly is moved downwardly, onto the can and will make an initial cut inthecan at substantially right angles to the .cut made by the knife edge ,39. ,Upon rotation of the can body by the roller 35, the cutting edge 52 of the rotary disc knife will continue the cut around the periphery of the can so as to sever the closed end from the body thereof.

The rotary disc-knife 51 may be used by itself in con-' junction with the longitudinal knife 39 :to sever the can end or. it may be usedin conjunction with the auxiliary blade 49 carried by the knife assembly 28.

When used in? conjunction with the auxiliary blade 49, therblade 49 will make the first cut in: the can body to thepoint a in Fig. 8 where thecuttingedges of each knife crosseach other thus giving a shearing action between, the two bladesiwhen the can is-rotated by the roller-35. 1 However, point a must never be left of axis line. B-B, otherwise the disc knife=51 would strike the can wall before auxiliary knife,49 had penetrated to the axis. It is therefore better-to make the auxiliary knife 49, alittledeeper, as shown by the dotted line 49' which would move ,the shearing point; to the right as, at b. When so extended, the auxiliary knife 49- would have completed its cut of the can wall to the point b before the disc knife 51 could come into contact with the metal to be cut. When the roller 35 is rotated by the crank handle 36 the body of thecan is fed through the shearing points aor b.

Iclaim: it

1. A machine for salvaging cans comprising a frame including a base and a pair of spaced uprights fixed to the base, a mandrel rigidly secured at one end to one of said uprights and extending horizontally therefrom toward the opposite upright and terminating in a free opposite end adapted to have an open end of a can slid thereon, a knife and roller assembly pivotally fixed to said frame for movement toward and away from said mandrel between a remote position and an operative position substantially parallel to and adjacent said mandrel to engage and longitudinally sever the side wall of a can disposed on said mandrel, cutting means adiacent to and substantially at right angles to the free end of the mandrel to sever the uncut end of the can, the roller then engaging and rotating the can body, and means for rotating said roller.

2. A machine for cutting and straightening a tubular body comprising a frame having a horizontally disposed mandrel fixed thereto in cantilever fashion so as to receive the tubular body thereon, knife means carried by ing a horizontally disposed mandrel thereon for receiving a can body having at least one end removed, knife means for longitudinally severing the cylinder wall of a can on the madrel, cutting means adjacent to and substantially at right angles to one end of the mandrel to sever the uncut end of the can, said mandrel having a convex outer surface, and a roller hingedly carried by said frame for movement into longitudinal engagement with a longitudinaily severed can on' said mandrel whereby rotation of the roller will feed the can cylinder wall from the roller thusconverting it to a generally fiat, sheet-like form.

4. A can salvaging machine comprising a frame having a horizontally disposed mandrel thereon'for receiving a can body having at least one end removed, knife means for longitudinally severing a can on the mandrel, cutting, means adjacent to and substantially at right angles to one end of the mandrel to sever the uncut end of the can, said mandrel having a convex outer surface and provided with a longitudinally extending, concave rollerreceiving trough, and a roller hingedly carried by said frame for movement into longitudinal engagement with a longitudinally. severed can on said mandrel and forcing the can into the trough whereby rotation of the roller will feed the can cylinder wall from the roller thus converting it to a generally flat, sheet-like form.

5. A can salvaging machine comprising a frame having engages the can, wall, cutting means adjacent to and substantially at right angles to one end of the mandrel to sever the uncut end of the can, and means for rotating said roller to feed the can wall between the roller and mandrel to straighten the same into substantially flat, sheet-like form.

6. A can". salvaging machine comprising. a frame including a rigid, horizontallydisposed mandrel having a convex upper surface for supporting a can having at least one;end removed, saidmandrel having a longitudinally extending, arcuate trough in its upper surface, a roller pivotally carried by said frame for movement toward and away from said mandrel and being received, in one position, within said trough, means for rotating said roller to feed said can wall between the mandrel and roller, cutting means adjacent to and substantially at right angles to one end of the mandrel to sever the uncut end of the can, and knife means for longitudinally cutting the side wall of a can supported on the mandrel.

7. A can salvaging machine comprising a frame having a pair of spaced, upstanding side pieces, a horizontally disposed mandrel fixed to one side piece and extending toward but terminating short of the other side piece, s aid mandrel having a convex upper surface for supporting a can having at least one end removed there-over, a pivot block hingedly secured to said one side piece about an axis inclined to the vertical and spaced rearwardly from said mandrel, a journal block disposed adjacent said other side piece, a knife blade-assembly fixedly interconnecting said journal block and said pivot block 'and disposed on the sides thereof facing said mandrel, cutting means adjacent to and substantially at right angles to one end of the mandrel to serve the uncut end of the can, a roller journaled between said blocks and including means for selectively rotating the same, said knife blade assembly and said roller being disposed, in one position of the same, closely adjacent said mandrel so as to longitudinally slit the side wall of a can supported thereon and engage the roller against the can.

8. In a can salvaging machine as defined in claim 7 wherein said side pieces are interconnected by an arcuate deflector plate disposed forwardly and above said mandrel, said knife blade being engageable with the lower edge of said deflector plate in said one position of the knife.

9. In a can salvaging machine as defined in claim 7 wherein said mandrel is provided with a longitudinally extending groove in its upper surface and in rearwardly spaced parallel relation thereto with an arcuate trough, said groove receiving said knife blade and said trough re.-

7-. ceivinga peripheral portion of saidroiler insa'i'd one posi tion of the same. a

10; In a can salvaging machine as defined in' claim 7 wherein said side pieces are interconnected by an arcuate" deflector plate disposed forwardly and above said mandrel, said knife blade being engageable with the lower edge of said deflector plate insaid one position of theknife, said mandrel being provided with a longitudinally extending'groove in its upper surface and: in'rearwa'rdly spaced parallel relationthereto with an arcuate trough, said groove receiving said knife bladeand' said trough re' ceiving a peripheral portion of'said roller in said onepositionof the same. a

11. A can salvaging machine comprising a frame having a horizontally disposed" mandrel rigid therewith and adapted to support thereon a can havingat leastone end removed'th'erefrom, said mandrel having a convex supporting surface to conform with the inner surface of a can, aknife and roller assembly pivotedat one end thereof to said frame for swingingmovem'ent toward and away from said mandrel such that the can wall is:l'ongi tudinally severed by the knife-while the roller engages the can wall', cutting means positioned adjacent the" free end of the knife' and roller assembly and at substantially right angles to the-knife f or'cutting and removing the tin-'- cut' end" of the can; and means for rotating" said roller to feed the can wall between the roller, mandrel and cutting means toremove the uncut end therefrom and to straighten the can cylinder wall into substantially flat sheet-like form.

12'. A cansalvaging machine' as defined in'daim 11,-. wherein the cutting means is a rigid blade adjacent the free end of the knife and positioned at right angles with respect tothe knife and integral'therewith so that as the knife and roller assembly is pivoted to move toward and mandrel and the-can resting thereon the cutting;

means win-gtogetheram the: ivoted-"entreethktiifq make right angle cuts; in thebody; of the can; and-when the body has been completely slitted' longitudinally there- 1 of the cutting means will also, upon rotation of'the" roller, cut and removethe other endfrom the can may.

13. A' can salvaging machine asdefined in claim: 11'; wherein the cuttingmean's is a-rotarydiseknife'mounted on the; roller axle adjacent the free endof the knife' and" roller assembly and po'sitioned at'ri'ght angle withrespect to the'longitudinal knife so that asLtheknifeand roller assembly is pivoted toward th e mandreland tliecan rest ing thereon, the cutting; means" will'xtogether with the knife, make right angle cuts in the body of the can" and when the body" has been slittedi longittidinally the cut move the other end from the cati body.

14; A: can salvaging machine as defined claim 1:1

ting means'will'; upon rotation of the roller, c'ut and re"- wherein the cutting means comprises airo'tary'discknif mounted on the roller an? and a' rigid knife adjacent-{the free end of the 1 knife and; integral -therewith',="eaeh= knife} remove' t he'oth er endf rom th e' can-bodi I References inztheifile of patent rotation Pi h EIQITS 103,215 Great Britain Jamie-1911 

